CAQ-OBGYN exam-day guide
CAQ-OBGYN · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID in the exact name used on your registration. Test centers turn away candidates whose names do not match. If your ID name differs from your registration (for example, a recent name change), confirm the accepted documentation with the provider before test day.
Scheduling confirmation and test-center address
Save your appointment confirmation and verify the exact test-center address, arrival time, and reporting window. Confirm with the provider whether a printed confirmation is required or a digital copy is acceptable, and confirm the arrival cutoff - many centers deny entry to late arrivals.
Approved calculator policy
Confirm with the provider whether an on-screen calculator is provided, whether a personal calculator is permitted, and which models are allowed. Do not assume; OB/GYN exams vary in calculator rules.
Scratch materials policy
Confirm with the provider whether scratch paper, a dry-erase board, or an on-screen notepad is supplied and whether you may bring your own. Bringing unapproved paper into the testing room can be treated as a security violation.
Personal items storage plan
Plan for a locker or secure area for phone, watch, wallet, keys, and study materials. Most centers prohibit personal items at the workstation. Confirm with the provider what must be left outside the testing room.
Comfort and medical essentials
Bring water, a snack for the break, and any permitted medication (for example, inhaler or glucose supplies). Confirm with the provider how medication is inspected and whether it can be accessed during breaks. Pregnancy-related or other medical accommodation needs should be requested well in advance.
Restroom and break expectations
Confirm with the provider how breaks are timed, whether the clock stops during breaks, and whether unscheduled restroom breaks are allowed. Plan hydration and caffeine around the break structure, not against it.
Logistics: travel, parking, and backup plan
Do a route check the day before, identify parking or transit, and set a backup plan for traffic or weather. Aim to arrive early within the center's reporting window; arriving too early may also be restricted - confirm with the provider.
Score report and results release
Confirm with the provider whether a preliminary pass/fail result appears at the end of the test and when the official score report is released. Do not plan travel or announcements around an unconfirmed instant result.
High-yield content review plan
In the final days, review your own weak-topic list and high-yield OB/GYN domains (for example, obstetric emergencies, labor and delivery management, gynecologic oncology, and primary care) rather than starting new resources. Keep review active with question practice and short recall.
Sleep and test-day routine
Protect sleep in the 72 hours before the exam and rehearse your morning routine. Avoid all-night cramming; fatigue degrades clinical judgment on long vignette questions more than one extra hour of review helps.
Accommodations confirmation
If you have approved testing accommodations, confirm with the provider that they are documented for this appointment and know how to invoke them on arrival. Bring any confirmation letter the provider specifies.
Plan the day
Stop expanding your resource list. Review only your own error log and condensed notes on weak domains, and do mixed-topic question blocks under timed conditions to rebuild pacing. Confirm logistics: test-center address, reporting time, ID name match, calculator and scratch-paper rules, and break policy with the provider. Protect sleep starting now; shift bedtime earlier rather than cramming later.
Do a light, short review of high-yield lists and formulas you tend to forget, then stop. Pack your ID, confirmation, permitted comfort items, and medication; lay out clothes. Check the route and weather, set two alarms, and eat a normal dinner. Avoid intensive new question blocks or score-anxiety discussions online. Go to bed at your usual time.
Eat a normal breakfast with protein and moderate caffeine matching your habit - do not experiment with extra stimulants. Arrive within the reporting window with time to spare for check-in and ID verification. Leave phone, watch, and study notes in the locker. Use the restroom before entering the testing room. Do a brief breathing or grounding routine rather than last-minute fact review.
Read the full vignette before the answer choices; identify the question stem (diagnosis, next step, most likely organism) and the key discriminating detail. Answer every question - there is generally no benefit to leaving items blank unless the provider states otherwise, so confirm the guessing policy. Flag and move past items that stall you, then return if time allows. Use scheduled breaks to stand, hydrate, and reset; keep unscheduled breaks short. Watch the clock at block boundaries, not every question. If a technical problem occurs, raise your hand immediately and get it documented before continuing.
Rules to check
Bring original, unexpired government-issued photo ID with a name matching your registration exactly; confirm accepted ID forms with the provider before test day.
Arrive within the reporting window. Late arrival can result in denied entry or forfeiture of your appointment; confirm the exact cutoff and rescheduling policy with the provider.
Do not bring unauthorized materials - notes, phones, smartwatches, or unapproved calculators - into the testing room. Unauthorized items can lead to score invalidation; confirm what is permitted with the provider.
Follow the provider's break rules exactly: know whether breaks are scheduled or optional, whether the clock stops, and whether locker access is allowed. Confirm these details with the provider rather than assuming.
Treat all exam content as confidential. Do not record, photograph, reproduce, or discuss specific questions afterward; doing so can invalidate your score and breach the examination agreement.
Understand the scoring model before test day: confirm with the provider whether results are pass/fail or scaled, whether some items are unscored pretest items, and how and when official results are released.
Request any accommodations (medical, pregnancy-related, extended time, or breaks) well before the exam and confirm approval is attached to your appointment; on-site requests are generally not accommodated.
If equipment fails or you believe a question is flawed, notify the proctor immediately and follow the provider's incident-reporting process; do not attempt to resolve it yourself or continue silently.